Upside Action at Christie’s Mid-Season Contemporary Sale

We will have to wait for the sale totals before drawing conclusions but a couple of dozen lots have already done well. Chiho Aoshima led the way with lot 5 surpassing it’s $20,000 high estimate to sell for $28,750 with premium. Lisa Ruyter’s lot 28 (left) went for $43,750 against a $30k high estimate. Han Yajuan had two strong sellers with lots 45 and 46. Lot 45 was the lower estimate ($20k) but the higher seller at $56,250. Michel Majerus sold for $62,500. Two Donald Baechlers sold in the mid-60s. Ross Bleckner, Tony Smith and Donald Judd had works around $70,000 and in the mid-50s for Judd. Allsold at or above their high estimates.

Sol LeWitt (right)had strong sales; as did Color Field painter Paul Jenkins and Photorealist Robert Cottingham whose work has done very well in similar sales at Sotheby’s too. Robert Rauschenberg and Robert Smithson both had work that sold well but within the estimates.

Jeff Koons and Cindy Sherman still found a way to surprise to the upside with lot 91 that went for $116,500 against a $60,000 high estimate and lot 97 that sold for $902,500, almost twice the $500,000 high estimate.